Peter Stone

Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin

Peter Stone is a prominent figure in the field of artificial intelligence, currently serving as the Executive Director of Sony AI America and the Chief Scientist at Sony AI. He has held this position since November 2019, after being appointed to lead the U.S. branch of Sony's global AI research division. In addition to his role at Sony, he is a Senior Vice President at Sony Corporation of America and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Truchard Foundation Chair of Computer Science and directs the Learning Agents Research Group (LARG) and Texas Robotics.1 2 3 4

Educational Background

Peter Stone earned his Bachelor's degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Computer Science from the University of Chicago in 1993. He then obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998.3 7

Career Highlights

Sony AI: Stone plays a crucial role in shaping AI projects, guiding researchers, and ensuring ethical considerations are prioritized in AI development. His work includes significant contributions to projects like Gran Turismo Sophy, an advanced AI agent for video gaming.1 2
University of Texas at Austin: Since 2002, he has been a faculty member where he teaches and conducts research on machine learning, multi-agent systems, and robotics. He has received numerous accolades for his teaching and research contributions, including being named an ACM Fellow and receiving the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award.4 5 7
Industry Experience: Prior to his current roles, Stone co-founded Cogitai, Inc., an AI startup focused on reinforcement learning, and worked as a Senior Researcher at AT&T Labs.2 3

Research Interests

Stone's research primarily focuses on:

Machine Learning: Particularly reinforcement learning.
Multiagent Systems: Understanding interactions among multiple agents.
Robotics: Including applications in autonomous vehicles and robotic soccer.4 5

He is recognized as a leading expert in these fields and has been involved in various initiatives aimed at advancing AI technology for practical applications.6 7